Across the country, many states have enacted laws to ban the use of cell phones during instructional time at schools. California’s law, the “Phone-Free School Act,” allows schools and districts to make their own policies. We, The Union, believe that our school has a good policy regarding the phone ban, and that overall, the policy is beneficial to students.
Primarily, the ban of cell phones in the classroom leads to a decline in the number of distractions. Most of us check our phones much more frequently than we want to admit. A single notification can distract students and spoil the lesson for them. This law helps solve this problem by making sure students are away from their phones and paying attention to the lesson.
Another aspect to consider is mental health. Increased use of cell phones leads to more symptoms of anxiety and depression, especially among young adults and teenagers. In some cases, even young children are being affected too. Because of the cell phone ban, schools have now created a mental space for students to relax and get a break from cell phones, which is more valuable, real face to face relationships. Students are now interacting with each other more than ever. Classroom discussions now have everyone participating and people making more friends., The new cell phone ban has completely changed the social setting of schools.
It is certain that phones aren’t always bad. Schools must let their students use their phones for emergencies and anyone with a health issue should be able to use their phone. These problems can be resolved with communication with the school principal or teacher. MHS lets their students use phones during passing periods and breaks, while other schools have students lock their phones into pouches for the whole school day. The whole point of this law is to motivate students to try to stay away from phones during school hours.
The phone free law in California is more than a bill, but a call back to the actual purpose of schools. Schools should be a place for learning, meeting new people and personal growth, both physically and mentally. By cutting down the day-time use of mobile phones, the bill gives us an opportunity to take a break from staring at our screens and interact with the people around us.
